When ever there is an impending piece of legislation that in any way can enable the growth of your business or protect you from unfair legislative practices, the independent tire dealers of Illinois and Indiana have the IITDA looking out for your best interests!

No single business can do this alone, but as members of IITDA, coming together with shared business concerns from all areas of each state as well as the federal government, great impact for business growth and consumerism alike can be affected.

 

* * * * *

Recently the Tire Industry Association (TIA) reported a ruling by the European Commission regarding the sharing of repair information from auto manufacturers to repair facilities. It states that Daimler/Chrysler, Fiat, GM and Toyota are now legally bound to provide technical information about car repairs to all independent garages in the European Union. The Union completed an investigation and concluded that inadequate access to all technical information could drive independent repair facilities from the market.

EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes stated “Consumers benefit from competition between repairers, through lower labor charges and cheaper spare parts. These decisions provide a concrete and timely solution to the problems faced by independent repairers who might lose their ability to compete without access to the relevant technical information”.

This action reinforces the message that TIA, your IITDA, and other groups have heralded regarding this important issue, but we still must engage our legislators here in the United States. HR2694, the Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act, was referred to the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection in June of 2007. At this writing, there have been no scheduled hearings regarding HR2694. There are four Representatives serving on this committee from Illinois and Indiana:

The Honorable Bobby L. Rush, Committee Chairman (IL)
The Honorable Jan Schakowski, Vice Chairman (IL)
The Honorable Dennis L Hastert (IL)
The Honorable Baron P. Hill (IN)
 

But none of them is a co-sponsor of the Act. In fact, of the thirty-four current sponsors, The Honorable Julia Carson (IN), and the Honorable Danny K. Davis (IL) are the only Representatives from our two states who are sponsors.

I had declared October 1, 2007, as IITDA Turn Up the Heat Day. How many of you actually sent letters to our representatives? If you did not, it’s not too late. The sample letter can be uploaded into a Word file from the Yahoo Group Blog Site or send me an e-mail at iitda@comcast.net, and I will send you the letter in a Word file.

Please take the time to make your voice heard.

 

Ken McCune, Executive Director